poisoned compliment

[AirbusA321]

Is it a poisoned compliment when a female human being says "You're so handsome" to a male human being?

 

[Rover_KE]

Is it a poisoned compliment when a [STRIKE]female human being[/STRIKE] woman says "You're so handsome" to a [STRIKE]male human being[/STRIKE] man?

What makes you think that?

It's just a compliment.

 

[Tdol]

Where did you get the phrase poisoned compliment from?

 

[emsr2d2]

In BrE, we use "a backhanded compliment" to mean something that sounds like a compliment but, in reality, it's almost an insult.

 

[Barb_D]

I've just searched for "poisoned compliment" and it didn't help me understand what was meant.

I just love the way Piscean can say just anything and not care if people think he's a creep for saying it. ;-)

 

[emsr2d2]

Well, Piscean is the most incredible, gorgeous and intelligent person ... in his own living room right now.

 

[Rover_KE]

Where did you get the phrase poisoned compliment from?

We're still waiting for an answer, AirbusA321.

 

[probus]

In BrE, we use "a backhanded compliment" to mean something that sounds like a compliment but, in reality, it's almost an insult.

I have never heard the phrase "poisoned compliment." But we understand the concept and I think our equivalent is backhanded, both in BrR and AmE. For example when a misfortune happened to someone my father disliked he would say "Couldn't happen to a better guy". It was pure irony; he would never say explicitly that he disliked the guy. He called this kind of remark a backhander. Sounds at first like a compliment but then when you think about it ...

Being pedagogical for a change.

 

[Tdol]

The idea is clear enough, and we do use phrases like poisoned chalice, but poisoned compliment is not something I have heard used.

 

[AirbusA321]

What makes you think that?

It's just a compliment.

Because it could imply that the woman thinks that the man is too soft.

Where did you get the phrase poisoned compliment from?

I invented it myself but Google also has some hits for it.

 

[emsr2d2]

Well, even if other people use the term, "You're so handsome!" isn't an example of it. "Handsome" doesn't imply, and has never implied, "soft".